Thomas Tuchel warns Mikel Arteta with Declan Rice stance

Mikel Arteta should not expect any favours from new England boss Thomas Tuchel in regards to offering his Arsenal players respite during future international breaks.

Two Gunners were included in Tuchel's first England squad for their World Cup qualifiers in March against Albania and Latvia. Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly started both victories, with the latter becoming the youngest goalscoring debutant in Friday night's 2-0 win over Albania.

England are expected to progress through their qualifying group at a canter, with Tuchel taking the job on in hope of bringing football home in 2026.

The tournament is less than 18 months away, and time is of the essence for the German, who started his new role on 1 January. During the recent break, Tuchel laid down the law to club managers who may complain about the overuse of their players.

Thomas Tuchel warns Mikel Arteta that Arsenal players won't be rested for England

Clubs have been known to craftily withdraw players from international duty in the past, with minor knocks or illness used as cover-ups and thus allowing them to stay at home during the break.

The schedule is ludicrous, and there are serious concerns over player welfare, but Tuchel isn't to blame for the silly calendar. Every chance he has to work with the England squad is pivotal leading up to the World Cup, and he's going to use the players he thinks give his side the greatest chance of success.

Thus, it's likely that Rice, Lewis-Skelly, and Bukayo Saka won't be offered breathers when such breaks come around over the next 12 months. The Gunners trio are set to develop into key pieces of Tuchel's Three Lions.

The German isn't worried about upsetting club managers, and used Arteta's deployment of Rice during the second leg of our Champions League tie with PSV Eindhoven after winning the first leg 7-1 as an example for potential hypocrisy.

Speaking ahead of England's 3-0 win over Latvia, Tuchel said (via The Telegraph): “Given the fact Declan Rice played in the next [Champions League] match after a 7-1 first leg [win] with Arsenal, I didn’t have the feeling that they think so much about us. So I don’t think we have to break our heads about this [keeping clubs happy]."

It's all about setting high standards for Tuchel, and the German believes resting players for international fixtures works contrary to that.

“I take care of the players. We take care about the schedule. But it would be the wrong signal to tell players now ‘hey, you have tough [club] matches coming up, so I rest you now," he added.

He has every right to utilise the players at his disposal as he pleases, and we should relish the fact that several Arsenal stars are poised to play integral roles in what could be a mightily exciting period for the Three Lions.

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